Superior youth to compete at rock climbing nationals in March

By Kimberli Turner Colorado Hometown Weekly

Posted:
01/23/2013 04:00:00 PM MST

Don't let Mia Manson's blond locks and innocent smile fool you -- she's been told she has what it takes to be a Marine.

The Superior resident looks like your average 10-year-old girl, but her strength and persistence are surprising -- two attributes that will take her far when she goes to rock climbing nationals next month.

Two summers ago, Mia and her family were at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo when she spotted a pull-up bar in front of a booth hosted by the United State Marines.

The Marines challenged fair-goers to try and beat the record number of pull-ups that the Marines manning the booth could do. Mia decided she would train the entire year to try and beat their record the following summer.

Mia Manson, 10, competed at rock climbing divisionals earlier this month and took first place. She competes with Team ABC Boulder, the elite rock climbing team at Boulder-based ABC Kids Climbing in Boulder.
(Amy Manson, Courtesy photo)

When the Mansons went back last year, the same booth and pull-up bar were there but, because of Mia's age, the Marines wouldn't allow her to try and break the record due to liability reasons. Because she was so upset, parents Pat and Amy Manson begged them to let their daughter attempt the challenge, but the Marines wouldn't budge.

Pat and a friend then retrieved a metal pole and held either side up for Mia to do her pull-ups directly in front of the Marine's booth. She beat their record by completing 40 pull-ups, though she could do 45 during training.

The Marine's response?

"He said, 'She has what it takes to be a Marine,'" Amy Manson said, adding that the Marine was referring not only to her strength but also her persistence.

Mia is on Team ABC Boulder, the elite rock climbing team at ABC Kids Climbing in Boulder.

She finished second out of 22 kids in her age division at the regional rock climbing competition in Fort Collins on Dec. 8 and advanced to divisionals in Tucson, Ariz., Jan. 12-13. She snagged first place out of 21 climbers in her category, which advances her to the national competition in Colorado Springs March 1-3.

She will compete against 34 other girls in her category.

Mia's no stranger to the national competition -- she placed eighth there last year and also went to nationals the year before, but did not advance to finals, the second day of the two-day competition.

But this year, she's pretty confident she can finish in the top three in bouldering -- a style of climbing without a rope -- in her age division. Mia has done well in previous competitions and the climbers who finished with a higher score at nationals last year are now in a different age division this year.

Under the direction of Team ABC coach Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou -- founder, owner and director of ABC Climbing -- and Garrett Gregor, the elite rock climbing team trains for three hours a day, three days a week warming up, working through power endurance workouts and conditioning. The conditioning is a series of abdominal workouts, pull-ups and other arm strengthening exercises, push-ups and stretching.

And Erbesfield-Raboutou said Mia has all the makings of a strong and successful climber.

Being at the top of her age division gives Mia some advantage -- she has more training and experience, she's more mature and she's bigger, the coach said.

"She's definitely in a good position this year to take (first place at nationals)," she said.

But it goes beyond that.

"Mia is strong, flexible, determined, motivated and a hard worker. You put that together and you've got a champion," Erbesfield-Raboutou said.

Erbesfield-Raboutou is a five-time U.S. champion and four-time World Cup Champion. She began coaching in 1993, retired from competition in 1996 and later became the head coach for the U.S.A. Climbing Team. She founded ABC Climbing in 2005.

Mia also hopes to go far in climbing and she created a list of goals to keep her focused. Placing in the top three at nationals is her No. 1 goals. Should she place fourth, she would still qualify for the U.S. team in her age division, another goal she has set.

"It gives me something to go for. It gives me something I can really try for and get so I know I can beat it," Mia said.

Mia's biggest competition this March is someone from her own team. Friend and ABC teammate Phoebe Dolan and Mia traded first and second place at regionals and divisionals.

Erbesfield-Raboutou said both climbers have a good chance at first place at the national competition and, that day will be "a roll of the dice" to see who takes it.

Mia said the adrenaline hits her before she faces each competition. The competitors don't get to see the climbing wall in advance and when it nears their turn to climb, they are seated in a chair facing away from the wall.

Each athlete then turns around and begins sequencing the route they will take up the wall -- meaning they prep their climb by looking at the types of holds they might make and mentally route their path.

"I'm ready to try my best and when I first get out there, I look up at the route and sequence it," Mia said, adding that all climbers do this, "So we're not really stuck (in the moment). Sometimes it's completely different and you have to rethink it."

What for Mia started as a fun activity has become a sport she excels in. And, though she has a lot of fun doing it, she does take it seriously, Erbesfield-Raboutou said.

"If she's not successful, you see disappointment. When things don't go her way she shows she cares. For me, it indicates it's important," she said. "For Mia, it matters. It really matters."